Restraint device



March 15, 1938. o. K. KJoLsr-:TH

RESTRAINT DEVICE Filed Aug. 26, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lvertrf:

A Ole K Kjolseth, bg #d4/j'. 1 Hi Attorneg..

March l5 1938 o. K. KJQLSETH RESTRAINT DEVICE Filed Aug. 2e, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor: Oie KKJOISeth,

' Hls Attorneg.

Patented Mar. 15, 11938 i K u UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RESTRAINT DEVICE Ole K. Kjolseth, Erie, Pa., assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 26, 1937, Serial No. 161,049

6 Claims. (Cl. 10S- 199) My invention relates to lateral restraint or parts when the locomotive is in a curve in the centering devices for railway trucks for restraintrack; Fig. 6 is an elevation, taken along line ing small oscillatory movements or lateral dis- E-6 of Fig. 1 transversely of the locomotive and placements of the trucks with respect to the vepartly in section, of another embodiment of my hicle frame and for permitting free pivotal moveimproved restraint device; Fig. 7 is a plan view, 5 ment thereof when the railway vehicle traverses partly in section, of the device shown in Fig. 6 a curve in the track. in its central operating position on straight track;

In railway vehicles, the vehicle frame usually Fig. 8 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 6

is supported on a plurality of trucks, and some showing the relation of the parts when the loco- 10 arrangement generally is provided for permitting motive is in a curve in the track; and Fig. 9 is 10 a limited amount of lateral pivotal movement an end view, partly in section, of the device of the truck frames relative to the vehicle frame shown in Fig. 6. in order to minimize the pressure exerted by Referring to the drawings, an electric locomothe flanges of the wheels against the rails when tive having a frame including a superstructure the vehicle is passing around a curve. It is also iii is pivotally supported by center bearings or 15 desirable that lateral oscillations of the trucks pins Ii and I2 on main truck frames I3 and I4, Should be restrained under normal Operating respectively. To facilitate traversing curves in conditions and that the truck should be mainthe track, the outer end of each of the main tained in substantial alignment with the vetruck frames I3 and I4 is supported upon an hicle frame, but the centering force should act auxiliary truck I5 having a relatively small dis- 20 onlyfor small lateral displacements, and when tance between axles. The auxiliary trucks I5 the vehicle enters a curve in the track the lateral are of the double axle type provided with wheels pivoting of the trucks should not be restrained. Iii mounted on axles Il journaled in journal It is desirable, therefore, that the lateral reboxes I8 which support the auxiliary truck frames straint or centering device should exert a pre- I5. 25 determined restraining force for a predetermined The locomotive is propelled by driving wheels small range of lateral displacement from longii9 through axles 20 driven by electric motors tudinal alignment of the trucks and the vehicle 2i, and the axles are journaled in journal boxes frame, and substantially no restraining force for 22 on which the frames of the main trucks I3 and any further lateral displacement therebetween. It are supported. Irregularities in the truck 30 An object of my invention is to provide an imtend to produce oscillations of the trucks about proved lateral restraint or centering device which the center pins II and I2 which pivotally supwill resiliently center laterally movable or oscilport the locomotive frame, and it is desirable y latable vehicle trucks relative to the vehicle that these oscillations should be restrained in frame, and restrain small lateral displacements order to provide a smooth operation of the Ve- 35 or oscillations of the trucks. hicle. These oscillations `of the trucks produce Further objects and advantages of my invenlateral displacements between the inner ends tion will become apparent and my invention will oi the trucks relative to the locomotive frame, be better understood from the following descripand these oscillations can be greatly reduced or tion referring to the accompanying drawings, and limited by providing a lateral restraint or cen- 40 the features of novelty which characterize my tering device which will maintain substantial invention will be pointed out with particularity alignment of the trucks and the locomotive frame. in the claims annexed to and forming part of It is desirablerthat the restraint device should this specification. not restrain the lateral displacement of the end In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevation of a frames of the trucks beyond a predetermined 45 locomotive embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is range, as it is necessary that the trucks pivot an elevation, taken along line 2 2 of Fig. 1 about their connections to the locomotive frame transversely of the locomotive and partly in secwhen the locomotive traverses a curve in the tion, of an embodiment of my improved lateral track. Furthermore, since the auxiliary truck restraint mechanism; Fig. 3 is an end view, parti5 at the trailing end of the locomotive enters a 50 ly in section, of the restraint device shown in curve in the track after the main driving Wheels Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, of I9 of the trailing truck I3 have already entered the device shown in Fig. 2 in its central operatthe curve, this auxiliary truck does not provide ing position; Fig. 5 is a plan View of the device any guiding force for guiding the main truck 5`5` shown in Fig. 2 showing the relation of the I3 into the curve during forward operation of 55" the locomotive, an-d it is desirable that this guiding force should be applied to the forward end of the truck I3 as it enters a curve.

In order to provide a guiding force and to prevent oscillation of the trailing truck I3, I provide a lateral restraint device adjacent the forward or inner end of the trailing truck and pivotally secure a follower arm 23 to the truck frame I3 adjacent a corner on the inner end thereof through a ball 24 and socket connection 25. This universal joint is pivotally carried by a pin 26 extending through the ball 24 and into bearings 21 on flanges 28 and 29 formed on the truck frame I3. The follower arm 23 is provided with a pair of similar oppositely disposed and spaced apart cam surfaces of varying curvature each having a central inwardly curved or tapered section 3U and straight parallel end sections 3| on each side of the tapered portions 39. These cam surfaces are joined by a web 32 and reinforced by cross-ties 33. The follower arm is arranged to extend transversely of the truck frame I3 and the locomotive frame 34 and between a pair of rollers 35 which are rotatably supported on spindles 3S and carried by cross-head guides 31. The cross-head guides 31 slidably engage bearing guide surfaces 38 in a casing 3S secured to a bracket 4i). The bracket 40 is provided with an upper supporting plate 4I which is attached by bolts 42 to the under sill 43 of the locomotive frame 34. The outer ends 44 of each of the cross-head guides 31 engage a follower plate 45 which is resiliently biased inwardly by two sets of springs 46, 41, and 48. These springs are held under compression between the follower plates 45 and spring seats 49 by through bolts 50, which adjustably secure together the spring seats 49 and the bracket 40 and extend through openings 5I in the follower plates 45. In this manner, the rollers 35 are carried by the locomotive frame 34 in relatively movable relation to each other and to the locomotive frame, and are resiliently biased toward each other by the springs 46, 41, and 48 into engagement with the cam surfaces of the follower arm 23. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a portion 52 of each of the cam surfaces adjacent the center of the tapered portions 30, Where the web 32 is the narrowest, does not conform to the cylindrical surface of the rollers 35, but has a sharper curvature, so that the rollers 35 do not seat in this smaller curvature portion 52 of the cam surfaces, but engage the cam surfaces at spaced points 53 on each side of these smaller curvature portions 52 of the cam surfaces.

When the locomotive passes over irregularities in the track which tend to cause the trucks to oscillate and produce lateral displacements between the ends of the truck frames and the locomotive frame, the rollers 35 tend to pivot about one or the other of the points 53 on each side of the center of curvature of the cam surfaces, and this leverage effectively utilizes the sets of springs to restrain oscillations of the main truck I3 to small limited lateral movements with respect to the locomotive frame, and this maintains substantially longitudinal alignment of the truck and the locomotive frame during normal operation along a straight track. When the locomotive enters a curve, the locomotive frame 34 tends to be displaced laterally with respect to the forward or inner end of the trailing truck I3, and the rollers 35 roll along the inclined or tapered portions 3D of the cam surface, thereby moving outwardly and further compressing the springs 46, 41, and 48. This produces a restraining force on the follower arm 23, which is transferred to the truck frame as a guiding force to guide the truck into the curve in the track. When the truck is in the curve, it will pivot about the center pin II and produce a relatively large lateral displacement between the truck frame I3 and the locomotive frame 34 causing the rollers 35 to roll out over the straight portions of the cam surfaces, as shown in Fig. 5, on which they roll with substantially no restraint. The restraining force of the device may be adjusted by varying the compression of the springs 46, 41, and 48 by adjusting the position of the nuts 54 on the through bolts 50. In this manner, the lateral restraint device provides a variable restraining force which is a predetermined initial restraining or centering force for small lateral displacements between the truck frame and the locomotive frame, and another predetermined restraining force for a predetermined range of relative lateral displacement of these fames, and substantially no restraining force for any further lateral displacement therebetween.

The auxiliary truck I at the forward end of the main truck I4 supports the forward end of the main truck, and when the locomotive enters a curve in the track, the auxiliary truck I5 exerts a guiding force upon the truck I4 which tends to pivot the truck about the center pin I2, and thereby guides the truck into a curve. With this arrangement, it is not necessary to provide a lateral restraint device which exerts as much restraining force upon the inner end of the leading truck I4 as the restraining force exerted by the lateral restraint device on the inner end of the trailing truck I3. I, therefore, provide a lateral restraint device of lighter construction adjacent the rear or inner end of the leading truck I4 and secure a follower arm 55 to the truck frame I4 adjacent a corner on the inner end thereof through a ball 56 and socket connection 51. This universal joint vis pivotally carried by a pin 58 extending through the ball 56 and into bearings 59 on flanges S9 and 6I formed on the truck frame I4. The follower arm 55 is provided with a pair of spaced apart cam surfaces 62 and 63 of varying curvature, which are supported by a web 64 and reinforced by cross ties 65. The cam surface 63 is straight throughout its length, and the major portion of the cam surface 62 also is straight and parallel to the cam surface 53 throughout most of its length, and is provided with an indented or curved portion 66 at about the central portion thereof. The follower arm 55 is arranged to extend transversely of the truck frame I 4 and the locomotive frame 34 and between a pair of rollers 61 and 68 which are rotatably supported on spindles 69 and 10, respectively. The spindle 59 is carried by a cross-head guide 1I within casings 12 which are secured to brackets 13. The lower spindle 19 is in the form of a bolt, and is rigidly secured by a nut 14 to the lower end of the casings 12 and the brackets 13. The brackets 13 are secured by welding to an upper supporting plate 'I5 which is bolted by bolts 16 to the under sill 43 of the locomotive frame 34. The upper end 11 of the cross-head guide 1I engages a follower plate 18 which is resiliently biased downwardly by a pair of springs 19, These springs are held under compression between spring seats formed on the follower plate 18 and spring seats formed on another follower plate' by through bolts 8|,

which adjustably secure together the follower plate 80 and the supporting plate 15 of the brackets T3. These bolts 3l extend through openings 82 formed in the follower plate l@ and permit free relative axial movement of the plate with respect to the bolts. In this manner, the upper roller 6l is carried by the locomotive frame 34 in relatively movable relation to the locomotive frame .'ili and the lower roller 68, and is resiliently biased toward the lower roller S by the springs 'I9 into engagement with the upper cam surface 52 of the follower arm 55. As shown in Figs. 6 and 9, the central portion of the curved cam surface BS does not conform to the cylindrical surface of the roller 61, but has a sharper curvature so that the roller S1 does not seat in the central portion of the curved section t5, but engages the cam surfaces at spaced points 83 on each side of this section of smaller curvature.

When the locomotive passes over irregularities in the track and it tends to cause the trucks to oscillate and produce lateral displacements of the trucks with respect to the locomotive frame, the roller @l will roll in the grooved portion 6,6 and pivot about one or the other of the points 83 of the curved cam surface 66 and effectively restrain oscillation of the main truck i4 to a small limited movement with respect to the locomotive frame, and thus maintain substantial longitudinal alignment of the truck with the locomotive frame during normal operation along a straight track. The lower roller 68 merely rolls along the lower straight cam surface 63 and facilitates the operation of the device, but does not exert any restraining force at any time. When the locomotive enters a curve, th-e truck lli will pivot about the center pin I2 and produce a relatively large lateral displacement of the ends of the truck frame with respect to the locomotive frame. This causes the roller El to roll out of the grooved portion 66 of the upper cam surface 62 against an initial restraint and onto one of the straight portions on either side of the curved section 66, as shown in Fig. 8, where the roller 6l rolls with substantially no restraint upon the follower arm 55. The restraining force of the device may be adjusted by varying the compression of the springs 79 by adjusting the position of the nuts 84 on the through bolts 3l. In this manner, the lateral restraint device provides a variable restraining force which is a predetermined initial restraining or centering force for a small range of lateral displacement of the end of the truck frame with respect to the locomotive frame and substantially no restraining force for any further lateral displacement therebetween.

While I have illustrated and described particular embodiments of my invention, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in th-e art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangements disclosed, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A locomotive or car having a frame, a truck having a support for said locomotive or car frame, a roller carried by said frame, a follower arm having a cam extending transversely of said frame and pivotally carri-ed by said truck, means including a spring for biasing said roller into engagement with said cam, and means including a cam surface of varying curvature carried by said cam for providing a variable restraining force to relative lateral displacement between said truck and said frame.

2, A locomotive or car having a frame, a truck having a truck frame arranged to support said locomotive or car frame, a lateral restraint device arranged adjacent the inner end of said truck and including a roller carried by one of said frames, a cam pivotally carried by the other of said frames and extending transversely of said frames, means including a spring for biasing said roller into engagement with said cam, and means including a cam surface carried by said cam and cooperating with said roller for providing a restraining force over a small range of relative lateral displacement between said frames and for providing substantially no restraining force to any further relative lateral displacement therebetween.

3. A locomotive or car having a frame, a truck having a truck frame arranged to support said locomotive or car frame, a lateral restraint device including a plurality of rollers carried by one of said frames, a spring arranged to bias said rollers toward each other, a cam pivotally carried by the other of said frames and extending transversely of said frames, and means including a cam surface arranged between said rollers for providing a restraining force over a predetermined range of relative lateral displacement between said frames and for providing substantially no restraining force to any further lateral displacement therebetween.

4. A locomotive or car having a frame, a truck having a fram-e arranged to support said locomotive or car frame, a lateral restraint device arranged adjacent the inner end of said truck and including a plurality of rollers, means for rotatably supporting said rollers on one of said frames in relatively movable relation to each other, a cam pivotally carried by the other of said frames and extending transversely of said frames, said cam having a cam surface arranged between and to cooperate with said rollers, and means including a spring biasing said rollers into engagement with said cam surface for providing a restraining force over a small range of relative lateral displacement between said frames and for providing substantially no restraining force to any further relative lateral displacement therebetween.

5. A locomotive or car having a frame, a truck having a truck frame arranged to support said locomotive or car frame, a lateral restraint device arranged adjacent the inner end of said truck and including a plurality of rollers carried by one y of said frames, a follower arm having a universal connection to the other of said frames and eX- tending transversely of said frames, said follower arm having a pair of similar cam surfaces arranged to extend between and to cooperate with said rollers, and means including a spring biasing said rollers into engagement with said cam for providing a restraining force over a predetermined range of relative lateral displacement between said frames and for providing substantially no restraining force to any further relative lateral displacement therebetween.

6. A locomotive or car having a frame, a truck having a frame arranged to support said locomotive or car frame, a lateral restraint device including a plurality of rollers, means including a guide for supporting each of said rollers on one of said frames in relatively movable relation to each other and to said frame, a follower arm having a, universal connection to the other of said said cam surfaces for providing arestraining force frames and extending transversely of said frames, over a predetermined range of relative lateral said follower arm having a plurality of similar displacement between said frames and for procam surfaces arranged to extend between and to viding substantially no restraining force to any cooperate with said rollers, and means including further lateral displacement therebetween.

a spring biasing said rollers into engagement with OLE K. KJ OLSETH. 

